There's also the strange problem of over-binding on the gamepad. For some reason, the quick switch button also activates the healing function. So, it's not unusual to accidentally perform one when you're trying to trigger the other. What's worse is that there are multiple healing functions and they're all operated by the same button, but they follow a set hierarchy. So, for example, if I've wandered into a fire and I need to put the flames out, I would normally hold down the heal button. But if wanted to perform an emergency heal before I put the flames out in order to stave off death for a few seconds, it's impossible.

I would love to spend the next few lines luxuriating about Far Cry 3's multiplayer experience, but I just can't do it. It's not bad, per se, but it's certainly not good either. The maps are awkward and lacking in chokepoints, which means that the tactics that make the campaign interesting are completely absent from the multiplayer. Aside from the graphics and the weaponry, it acts like an entirely different game and often feels tacked on.

However, multiplayer components are made and broken in the community. So, if the fan base can find a way to turn the multiplayer into something interesting, perhaps using the included multiplayer map editor, I'm happy to be wrong.

Ubisoft has also included a co-op campaign, which is a pretty impressive little perk. It's built for a four-player crew, and follows a new cast of characters. The campaign steps out of Far Cry 3's overly serious single-player effort and shoots for a more comedic delivery.

Co-op mode also does away with the open world, adopting a semi-strict linear path. Like I said, this mode was designed for four people, and it’s pretty difficult if you try to slide by with fewer players. But it's a decent experience when you get a whole crew together.

One of the things that makes Far Cry brilliant is the ambiance that Ubisoft has created. This is not a game for children, and we're reminded of this fact repeatedly. There's a semi-constant stream of profanity, the violence is not toned down, and the game itself contains a nude scene. Without these things, it would be hard to take Far Cry 3 seriously, and it deserves to be taken seriously.

Far Cry 3 is by far one of the most impressive games of this console generation. It's an ambitious effort on Ubisoft's part and puts a big fat exclamation point on the 2012 gaming year.

ByJosh Engen
News Director
Date: December 3, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.5

GraphicsThe sporadic graphical artifact and texture problem is the only thing keeping this from a perfect score.

4.0

ControlIntuitive and responsive, but not without a few quirks.

4.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice ActingThe sound design is practically the only thing keeping you alive in the jungle. Luckily, Komodo Dragons are noisy.

4.5

Play ValueWith a 35-hour campaign, multiplayer, and co-op, you have a large suite of options.

4.5

Overall Rating - Must BuyNot an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Explore a diverse island playground, from mountain ranges and swampy grasslands to white sandy beaches. Discover relics, hunt exotic animals, play minigames, and travel quickly by land, sea, or air. Fight your way through the island's towns, temples, river ports, and more!

Encounter an engaging and disturbed cast of characters as you take a gritty journey to the dark side of humanity, written by a Writers Guild Award winner.

Play online or splitscreen and team up in a four-player campaign that challenges you to be your best and work together to prevail. Experience the island through the eyes of a wayward crew in their own quest to survive against the odds.

Innovative multiplayer rewards skill and team play. To level up, players must support each other by boosting with battle cries, reviving teammates, and calling in support weapons. After each match, players have the choice to punish or show mercy for their foes in fun and twisted ways, choreographed with interactive cutscenes.

The powerful and easy-to-use Far Cry Map Editor is back, with new and improved features. A community of mapmakers ensures a constant stream of all-new content with the very best being showcased for the whole world to enjoy. Using the included tools, you too can make amazing maps, quickly and easily.

Far Cry 3 is being developed by the world-class game designers who brought you such critically acclaimed titles as Assassin's Creed 2, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and World in Conflict.